No Secrets in Graceland
by LoveStoryMermaid
Summary: After the events in King's Castle, Johnny is fed up with all the half-truths around the house and calls for it to end.


No Secrets in Graceland

Two days after the party fiasco, Johnny smirked over his orange juice as Briggs came hustling downstairs Sunday morning, looking at his phone and heading out. It was about the time he saw Briggs head back in, frustrated, that Charlie was coming down on her way out, too.

Briggs walked back in, "Johnny, have you seen my keys?"

Johnny shrugged, "Where are you going?"

Briggs glared at him, "Doesn't matter. Out. Have you seen them?"

Paige had just come downstairs as Charlie came back inside with the same look Brigg's had, looking at Mike lying on the couch, "How you doing, Mikey?"

Charlie defended, "He insisted he was fine. Wouldn't take any more babying. Johnny, do you remember where I left my keys?"  
"What do I look like? Everyone's personal housekeeper?"

Briggs looked over at Charlie, "Wait, you can't find your keys either?" He suddenly glanced back at Johnny as Jakes made his way slowly down the stairs, with his head hung, Johnny glancing up at him out of the corner of his eye.

"What's this about keys?" Jakes asked.

"Charlie and I were heading out, but neither of us can find them," Briggs answered.

Johhnny put his hands up, "Alright, alright, nobody shoot me," he glanced at Jakes, "or hit me, whatever. I took 'em."

"Johnny, do you think this is funny?" Briggs demanded, "How old are you?"  
"Johnny, I got places I need to be," Charlie shot.

"Let me guess? Odin?" Johnny replied, less than impressed, "Charlie, I ain't going to lie to you. I care about getting the s.o.b., but unless you got him pinned done, a ghost can wait!"

"He nearly got Mike killed!" Charlie shot back, "Not to mention how many other people. I'm not going to wait!"

Briggs put up his hands a bit, suggesting, "Charlie, you really could use a break."

She turned on him, "Believe it or not, Briggs, you're not my boss and frankly, you haven't been acting like the guy I know anyway lately, so don't tell me what to do."

"Stop!" Johnny broke up, "Do you hear yourselves? Charlie, you want to be frank? Ok, so do I; because I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of this." He looked around at everyone, "No one's being totally honest around here. Don't play me for a fool. I mean, what happened to Graceland being a place where we could relax?" He turned to Jakes, "Jakes, I'm sorry if I pushed too hard with the party, but since when do we go throwing punches, man? What's going on, all of you?"

Charlie looked between Johnny and Jakes, "Wait, Jakes, you hit Johnny? That's where you got that shiner?"

Before an all out fight broke out, Johnny interrupted, "Look, I don't really care about that. What I care about is the lies, guys. It's part of the job, I get that; but, Charlie, you call this place family. I agree and family don't lie to each other. Even if all you don't agree that's what we are, we can't live together like we do on lies."

"That's our life, Johnny," Briggs answered.

Mike spoke up and Johnny got the feeling he agreed with him, "So what do you want, Johnny?"

Johnny nodded, "None of you guys are going to find your keys just yet, alright. Unless you guys want to hotwire your own car, no one's going anywhere until we get this sorted out. Everyone. All of us. Anything. Whatever the problem, because it's killing us. Even you, Briggs. Charlie's right."

Charlie looked at Briggs as if to say I told you so and Jakes glanced at Johnny, doubtful, "You really think your version of couple's therapy is going to work?"

Briggs protested, "Secrets are burdens, Johnny. They put people at risk."

Johnny replied before anyone else could, looking at Mike as an example "Yea, they do. When the people you care about don't know about them, they get hurt."

They all shut up at that for a moment before Mike spared a glance at Paige and spoke up, "Maybe Johnny's right. Why are we here, anywhere? Answer's different for all of us, but is it really for the lies and the acts that way on consciences? It may be a naïve nine year old's point of view, but we're supposed to be the good guys, right? We uphold the truth and the law. At least, that's what everyone's told? People trust us, but where's that founded if we can't even trust each other?"

"Thank you, Mike," Johnny nodded.

Mike nodded, "It's a good idea, but everyone's got to try to understand why the secrets were kept in the first place."

Paige nodded, looking at Mike and going to grab a seat next to him, "Yea, ok. No matter how big, no matter how hard, no judging. No more secrets. After all, Johnny's right. Graceland used to have that rule. No secrets from the house. It'd be another lie to say we haven't all failed that miserably."

Sighing and pulling up chairs at the edge of the kitchen, Briggs and Charlie followed suit, as did Jakes, grabbing a beer instead of the orange juice he'd been going for.

"Jakes," Briggs sighed, "How about one for me, too?"

Jakes tossed him one, "You got it."

Johnny turned frontward with a half smile on the bar stool. "Ok…anyone want to start?"

He met with silence and several glances downward before Briggs suggested, "What about you, Johnny? This was your idea."

Johnny shrugged, nodding, "Alright. I kept secret about Jake's party. That was simple and look how it blew up."

Paige acknowledged, "I think that's part of the problem. It always seems simple at first. You think you can handle it and then after time, one thing leads to another and all of a sudden you can't handle it anymore."

Johnny nodded, "Briggs." Briggs looked at him, curious, surprised, and waiting before Johnny continued, "I borrowed your board the other day cause mine broke and the waves were awesome. But, you didn't know and your board's fine, but I should clean it up for you."

Briggs gave half a smile, answering slightly sarcastic, "Thanks, Johnny. I'd appreciate that."

Johnny nodded, "I guess the only other thing for me is if you guys don't already know…Mike, I know you've been having a hard time getting used to the life." Mike sort of snorted as if in understatement, but Johnny continued, serious, for once, "but the secrets, the bad days, half the time joking is how I deal. I don't let myself take it too seriously because I'll go mad if I do. Though, that's not an excuse to do the job one way or the other."

Done, Johnny waited to see if anyone had anything to say. When it didn't seem like it, he ended, "Ok, so there. Who else?"

Briggs looked down a moment before meeting Johnny's gaze and answering, "You want to start off dead serious? Otherwise, I'll wait."

Johnny frowned and there was another pause.

Paige broke it, "I've been in this house a long time and never heard a peep of your story, Briggs. If we're doing this, I think it's time."

Charlie gave a small smile, looking at him and suggesting, "You were always the exception. Maybe that was where we first went wrong. Start at the beginning?"

Briggs held Charlie's gaze before glancing at Mike.

Paige reminded, "But no judging. No matter what. If we need a break, I think we could do that, but…"

Jakes just shook his head, taking a sip of his beer, but seemed resigned as he said "I can't believe you guys."

Remembering a few nights ago when Jakes had smelled of a bar and had come in good as drunk, Johnny looked at the bottle pointedly, but didn't say anything.

After a moment that seemed liked Brigg's suggestion was more a request than anything, Charlie deflected, "Mike, the other day just before I was bringing you meds in jail, I saw one of your drawers open….I didn't really mean to snoop, but I saw a shattered, bloody crime scene picture tucked away?"

With a slightly defeated piece of a smile, Mike nodded. He looked at Charlie, then Johnny, replying, "You sure? I'm afraid it's not as simple as yours, Johnny."

Johnny nodded. "Ok, that's the whole point."

Charlie nodded.

Mike pressed his lips before nodding, "Charlie, and all of you, you've been really great to me. I'm not sure that changes anything, maybe it's going to make this worse; but, I want you to know first that I really do appreciate it." He looked at Briggs who nodded once before continuing, "I didn't ask for Graceland. I was assigned….to investigate Briggs."

Johnny sat a little straighter in his chair, shocked and Charlie remarked, "What? Briggs…" she trailed off a moment when he didn't seem nearly as surprised as the others, "Did you know?"

"I had my suspicions. Maybe we should let Mike explain, though."

Mike nodded, "And I told him a few days ago. The bureau thought Briggs was dirty, keeping stocks of heroin from busts and selling it. I was sent in to see if it was true and get him out of the field if it was."

Johnny saw Charlie shoot him a look, thinking back to when they had searched Brigg's CI's hideout, shaking her head and looking as if she was going say something, but she didn't. Mike looked at Briggs, who returned it as if telling him something.

Mike continued once it'd set it, sunken into the couch a little more, "That was how it started, an assignment. Following orders, but I want you all to know I respect Briggs, and all of you highly-wish I could have shown it better-and I'll say their accusation turned out not to be so black and white." He paused, looking at Briggs and his next line quieter, "Is it ever? But, I think I'll let Briggs explain it fully. After all, it's his story." Briggs nodded and Mike moved on, "I wish that was it, but," he looked at Paige, "You guys remember Abby. A few weeks ago I was still seeing her. I brought her up to my room and she saw Paige with a gun about to go out."

As if she could barely believe what she was hearing, Charlie whispered, "Does she know anything?"

Head down, Mike answered, "No. I'm pretty positive she ran away not wanting to know a damn thing more, much less see or think of me or anything involving this place."

Briggs simply put, "Ok, then; but, Mike, I don't need to tell you that you've got to be more careful and that can't happen again."

Mike nodded, "I know. It won't. I promise."

After a pause acknowledging Mike was done, Paige picked up, "Ok, then. I guess Mike kind of told my big one. I knew about Abby. Didn't say anything. Told him it would be our secret. I'm not making excuses, but I can understand getting reckless and I know I'm not the only one here who's covered an ass and kept it between them before. I knew about Brigg's, too, that he was investigating him. He told me when I went to see him in the hospital. That's what that was about. I know some of you were wondering." She looked at Mike, "I was really mad at him for a while. I didn't know what to think. But you know what, I owe you an apology. I told you that you could trust me and when you did I shot you down. So, I'm sorry. And, it's a good reminder today to wait for all explanations before we judge. That's it for me, really."

Charlie nodded, closing her eyes a moment before looking up at Briggs and whispering, as if she didn't really want to know, but was asking anyway. "Briggs, you wanted to wait. We waited. Can you tell me Mike's orders didn't have any merit?"

In response, Briggs looked down, closing his eyes before sharing a glance with Mike. He finally looked back at Charlie and answered, "Mike said the answer wasn't as black and white as me keeping the heroin and selling it…or not and he's right. Truth is…" he paused a moment and Mike nodded before he continued, "Charlie, I know you remember a time when I was a lot like Mike: by the book, believed in it and hit the bad guys hard, but within reason. I know we all know that's not quite me anymore; but, you don't know what changed that. Back when I was not too long out of Quantico, not too far past where Mike is in his career, still under a training officer myself, we were hunting down a drug cartel. Same one that's showing up now with Bello, the Caza Cartel. At that time they used the border as their protection, jumping from one side to the other every so often to keep from getting pinned down. It's possible they're still doing that, but I'm not positive they're working so in tune any more. Anyway, my training officer wanted to go down and check it out, off the record. Told me to stay put, take a vacation if I needed it. If you guys remember your rookie year, that's not the attitude of a new agent and I didn't listen. I followed him thinking I could be welcome backup. Of course, that's not how it played out and it ended up being the stupidest decision on my life. My training officer was MIA and I ended up captured. Except they didn't seem to care so much about information as they did telling the bureau to go screw themselves and they weren't afraid of us. So, they kept me tied down in a room for two weeks, shooting me up with a big dose of heroin every day until it was pretty clear to them I was no longer any good to our government as a reliable agent and let me walk. It probably would have worked, too and for a little while it did. Two weeks was plenty long for my brain to convince itself it needed it. Except, I also knew my life and career was going down the toilet. For a while, I didn't care and I did let the drugs feed the feeling I was already screwed. But, then I got back to the house and it, along with all the agents…were burned to a crisp."

Johnny didn't think Brigg's was done, but he didn't know what to say and Briggs had stopped his confession cold, hanging his head. Paige covered her mouth.

Charlie went to go to him, saying, "My god, Briggs," but he waved her off, continuing, "You might imagine that was my wake up call. I couldn't just let myself pretend that wasn't my fault, that it never happened and I recognized the pattern in junkies I'd seen in my line of work that I'd scoffed all my life in myself. So I took that vacation long overdue to work myself out more or less. When I came back, it wasn't perfect, but I wasn't addicted to the point I was where it'd leave me incapable of working at efficiency. I had a few friends of mine back then be sure of it. In the early days, though, I'm sorry to say I slipped once or twice when it came to a heroin deal; it slowly got to the point where I wasn't even using, but I was still hanging on to it. Then I got the point about where you guys knew me with the wonderfully bright idea that it wouldn't be a bad thing to have a stash if a case ever got critical and we needed large amounts of it, like with Bello, and the bureau wouldn't notice." He gave a small, hapless laugh. He continued, "I've been getting help ever since. Mike can attest to that."

Mike nodded as Briggs' paused before going on, "I really wish that was it, but it's not…." He took a breath, looking at Charlie, "I'm Odin."

Johnny covered his face, partially trying to hide the expression on his face that likely had him looking nearly for all the world like a kicked puppy just tossed out on the street; but at the same time, he was afraid Charlie was about to jump Briggs and the others wouldn't be far behind, except maybe Mike.

Charlie, however, seemed to only be able to decide she was going to personally convert Briggs into ash with only her eyes while keeping herself glued to her spot. Briggs continued before that changed, "Mike, I think you've guessed it, but I was the one that took you out back at the warehouse. I couldn't risk blowing my cover."

Before Charlie could do anything, Mike put a hand up to her, but challenged, "Couldn't or didn't want to?"

"Probably more the second, but I'll hand it to you with an apology, Mike. You put up one hell of a fight."

Make gave a weak smile, "Well, you know what they say about age."

Briggs allowed himself a small dejected laugh, hanging his head a moment, before meeting Mike's gaze, "I'm afraid there's one more thing, though. Back when the cartel had me, I never saw his face-it was always hidden behind a bandanna-but the one way of identifying the guy who always shot me up was the sound of keys. They called him Jangles. Mike, you asked me the other day if I'd heard of Juan Badillo. I wasn't lying to you. I didn't know the name, but…"

Mike sat up and Briggs continued, "I pulled up the name on the database. Last night, Jangles found me out on the beach. He had a gun. He attacked me. I defended myself. It was him."

Mike stared at him, "What? Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Mike, took a breath, closing his eyes and putting a hand behind his head.

Charlie was still whispering, "Johnny, what do you say about that break now? A half hour or so?"

Johnny nodded and after a moment, almost as if he needed to find his voice agreed, "Ok. Nobody bite any heads off, though. This is good, getting it all out. We're not even done, but it's no wonder now why everyone's been so on edge."

Everyone just gave a short one nod and in that second Briggs and Charlie were out their seats heading for the door.

Outside, for a moment, Johnny saw the two stare at each other and he muttered to himself, "No. nono. Please."

He didn't need to do anything else, though, because Charlie merely put up a hand and probably suggested he leave her alone before they choose opposite paths to go off on.

Johnny recognized what Paige had said about not judging anyone and he had known that secrets were being kept around the house, but he hadn't realized just how big those secrets were; so, he took the break working it through in his mind until he could get reconciled. After all, Paige did have a point: once you got past the shocked and hurt feelings, most of the secrets you could see why they were kept, even if you didn't agree with them. Of course, he knew some of the others wouldn't have such an easy time accepting everything, in particular Charlie with Briggs; but, he still thought it was better now that they all knew.

Thirty minutes later, Mike woke up from a nap he'd let himself doze into when Paige and Jakes came back down from their rooms. Johnny thought he had heard the small, quiet impacts of darts being thrown. It took another fifteen minutes of the three of them making small talk before and wandering before Charlie and Briggs showed back up outside. The glance they shared before coming in wasn't quite as hostile as when they'd left; but, as he'd suspected, they would have a lot to talk about before they were okay again.

Johnny waited a few minutes after they had sauntered over back to their spots before trying to find a way to get going again. "Ok, so everyone good?"  
Briggs answered, "Relatively."

Johnny took the quiet, short nods as a go-ahead, "Alright then. That leaves Jakes and Charlie."

When neither of them seemed eager to start, Johnny dared suggest, "Charlie, you had sort of started earlier, but we got off on others."

Johnny almost tried Jakes when Charlie was quiet for a minute; but, eventually she spoke up, "Alright, fine. You all know about the heroin. I guess that event should have told us what we needed to know about secrets around here; but, I guess all of us can be hard-headed sometimes." She paused a moment before continuing on, looking straight at Briggs, "I think you all know I've been looking for leads, so I've been seeing a Mexican contact about Odin." She paused another second, "I guess that's over."

Briggs glanced down a moment before speaking up, "Wait. Maybe not. I did have my reasons. I'm still trying to get to Bella."

"Well Bella's in jail now in case you forgot," Charlie shot back.

Briggs put up his hands, "Of course not. It's also not my point at the moment."

Charlie interrupted him, "Oh don't go thinking you still have the right to be all authoritative on taking the lead."

Johnny interceded, "Charlie, just let him finish."

Briggs gave Johnny a glance before looking back at Charlie and continuing, "Charlie, you said your contact was Mexican. What's his name? What does he look like?"

Charlie looked at him a moment before saying offhanded, "Tan, brown eyes, shorter height, and short, dark hair. Briggs, what's this about?" She continued before he could answer, "You know there's no way he could be part of…"

When she trailed off, Briggs objected, "It wouldn't be the first time there was an inside job or someone pretending to be something…they aren't." He said the next line with no hostility, just making a point. "Look at Mike. Heck, look at what we do on a relatively common basis. When Mike got busted with Bella, I tagged a guy on the shoulder. Charlie, did you see anything like that? Blood stains, limited movement?"

She frowned, thinking about it and shaking her head. "What? No. I'd have questioned that."

Placating and planning, Briggs replied, "But that's not to say you missed it. I'd say keep it up. Odin can still be a lead. If he isn't who he says he is, we can lay false information and he'll lead us straight to the cartel."

"More lies," Mike protested neutrally.

Briggs grimaced, "Like it or not Mikey, Johnny, that's part of the job. We'll just keep personal secrets out of the house from now on."

Charlie asked, "You sure you're not too focused on this?"

Briggs and Mike shared a glance before he answered her, "Possibly, but that doesn't mean I can't be right. So, I suggest we check it out and if you think I'm going too far, I'll hear you when you say pull back."

Charlie nodded.

In the moment that passed assuring that Charlie was done, Jakes spoke up before Johnny had to prompt him, "Well, hell guys. Suddenly I'm going to seem like a whining child. I guess I'll start with an apology to you, Johnny. You see, though. There's a reason I don't like birthdays, much less a celebration. I've got an ex-wife and kid." Jakes paused just a moment before continuing, looking around, "You all know this job. I walked out to keep them safe, but these days I can't seem to accept that decision. I gotta know how they're doing and birthdays just remind me I've spent another year away from them."

Johnny answered, "I don't think that's childish, Jake. Not really. You were protecting your family. You miss them. I can respect that. I just wish you had told me that sooner.

Jakes nodded and Johnny waited a moment before asking with a breath, "Okay, anything else?"

There was a pause as they all waited to see if anyone did have anything else to say. When it didn't seem like it, Johnny continued, looking around at everyone, "Thank you. Like I said, I think Charlie's right. We are a family. We've got some big problems to work out, but let's act like a family. From now on, we talk to each other. No more lies in Graceland, for real this time. It's better, isn't it?"

Briggs looked like he might have reservations on that, but answered, "Alright, Johnny."

Johnny accepted the nods everyone else gave him.


End file.
